C.C. at her former historic gallery in Denver’s Art District on Santa Fe.

C.C. at her former historic gallery in Denver’s Art District on Santa Fe.

About C.C.

"Time stops when I paint, yet I paint in a moment of time. Shapes, designs and colors swirl in my head!"

The art of C.C. Opiela is bold, dramatic, sensual and cabalistic.

She is an artist that leaps beyond the conventions of a known reality and, beckoning the viewer to follow her, enters into landscapes of infinity.

With an open-ended vision, she peers into and beyond what is seen, and records her mystical journeys in brilliant colors, light and textures.

Hers is a dance into the mysteries of life, glimpsed in delight and served deliciously with her own unique, creative, expansive style.

"There are no mistakes in art -
only preconceived notions by the viewer."

Working in experimental, mixed water-media on paper and canvas, C.C. creates her expressions of an abstract world. She typically attends to 4 - 6 artworks at a time, each in a different stage of completion. It's not uncommon to find her at work in the studio, vibrating her dynamic energy to the sounds of pulsating rhythms on the stereo, and moving from one painting to the next.

Brush in hand, C.C.'s intense style of painting is synonymous with her passion for dramatic colors and the excitement created with the unexpected. The results are images that reverberate with passion and color.

Poised at the threshold of infinity, C.C. Opiela challenges herself to interpret and communicate her most intimate feelings, visions, and discovered truths into abstract forms. This is a bold and passionate woman who embraces the unknown and gives it a voice.

She compares creating a piece of artwork to creating a life and is often intrigued with watching how her creation speaks to her viewers and what her viewers "see" in her artwork.


Artist Bio

C.C. Opiela was born in Chicago, IL where painting, drawing and artistic expression began early.

By sixteen, she had started her formal art studies at the famed Art Institute of Chicago. She gave up Saturdays, and the other whims of her teenage peers, to be immersed in her studies surrounded by the great masters of art. After attending art school, C.C. continued her studies at the University of Wisconsin and majored in Studio Arts.

In addition to her extensive art studies, she has also studied philosophy and psychology. This mixture of knowledge and understanding of the psyche is what allows C.C. to interpret what she intuits on an emotional level and translate it into the visual medium of abstract design.

In pursuit of expanding her own style, the artist took a sabbatical and traveled to the Greek Isles, Indonesia, Australia and throughout the Pacific Islands, among other places. Her diverse travels have influenced and inspired her to incorporate the exotic colors and textures of nature into her style.

For many years, C.C.’s full schedule included roles as a lecturer, juror and demonstrator, as well as teacher of art throughout the U.S.

The recipient of many awards, C.C. has exhibited in numerous one-woman shows and her works are included in major collections throughout the US and abroad. Her work has also been sold in countless galleries around the U.S. 


Where to find CC Opiela art

After 10 great years, C.C. Opiela Gallery, located in the Santa Fe Art District of Denver, CO closed its doors. C.C. had restored the iconic 1891 building to its classic form and used it to display her art and had become a local area favorite. 

Now, you can visit and view her artwork here - from anywhere in the world.

To find out about her most updated work, contact C.C. directly.